


再见、自由泳（Sayonara Crawl）

by axcheronferry



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Bad Ending, Bitterness, Crush, F/F, Not a Love Story, Single POV, Summer, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23342911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axcheronferry/pseuds/axcheronferry
Summary: Goodbye to her, crawl, waves crashing against the sky, sparklingTanned and strong, your arms cut through the waves and carved into my heartGoodbye to her, crawl, as much as I adore you soWhy can't I pass on those feelings that I've nurtured on the BeachSummer likes to play tricks on me
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Kya (Avatar), Lin Beifong/Kya II
Kudos: 22





	再见、自由泳（Sayonara Crawl）

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [再见、自由泳](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23325385) by [axcheronferry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/axcheronferry/pseuds/axcheronferry). 



> This fic was inspired by AKB48's song of the same name.   
> I apologise for my grammar mistakes and weird expressions in advance.

Lin Beifong became one of the world's top Earthbenders at the age of 15, and when she graduated as the honour student at 16, the principal introduced her as "the girl who can do anything". However, growing up, she was baffled over and over by the same simple thing: She couldn't swim at all.

It was not that she had not been taught. Toph was too busy to take care of her daughters during the holidays, therefore, Lin and Suyin normally spent their summers with Katara and her families. It's usually in Southern Water Tribe, Ember Island or Kyoshi Island, and there were always beaches and coasts. Kya never gave up teaching her how to swim; she spent an entire summer tutoring Lin on the bright, shimmering beach of Ember Island.

She never learned properly in the end, but to be honest, she didn't really think it was a necessary skill. She was an Earthbender and a Republic City cop. If she was a navy officer who went out on the sea a lot, she would need to learn how to swim to stay alive. If she was going to sail around the world as well, she would have the urge to become a master swimmer. But she was an Earthbender and a Republic City cop, so she didn't need to know how to swim.

But then again, did she ever regret being clumsy in the water? Of course.

Kya had returned home from a jungle expedition, but she did not meet with Lin because she was closed to work on her new book on Air Temple Island. After two long months of waiting, Kya finally got out of her musty study room and the first thing she did after that was to arrange a pool party for all of her friends.

If Lin could swim, she wouldn't be sitting around sighing, not knowing what to do.

"Lin! " Kya hugged her from behind.

"Oh, " she blinked and turned. "Kya! I thought I'd never see you again. "

"I’m so sorry, honey, " Kya said, rubbing her head. "I've been away from Republic City for eternity, everybody misses me to their deepest soul. "

There was a shadow flashing through Lin's heart. It was she who cared about Kya the most. But Lin didn't say anything. Everyone here came today to celebrate Kya's new book, and she would not let anything get in the way of Kya's good mood.

"Where were you just now? " Lin asked casually, shifting the conversation elsewhere.

"Hmm… Busy leading us diving. You know, jumping from the cliff into the sea. It's extremely exciting, no kidding, " Kya said, stretching out her hand to count a few names, "... and Nasta. Everyone is in high spirits. It seems to me that they have been waiting for this opportunity since they were born."

"From the cliff? Jump? " Lin gasped. "You can't do that... "

"Of course I can, " Kya interrupted. "I'm twenty-one now, I'm the oldest person here, and besides, I'm a Waterbender, so there's no danger. " She paused as if she was seriously considering important matters, and then grabbed Lin's shoulder and excitedly asked, "Do you want to try it? "

"Huh? "

Ignoring the subtle change in Lin's face, Kya added: "Oh, you have to try. Didn't you pass the police exam? This is your last chance to take an adventure. " The more she talked, the happier she became, deepening the flush in her cheeks. "You coming? "

Lin looked at Kya's outstretched hand, frowned, and turned away. "Absolutely not. "

"Why? " Kya wailed wildly. "It'll be fun. "

"I'm clumsy in the waters, " Lin said, grabbing her towel from nearby. "It's too dangerous. "

"Darling, you've chosen the most dangerous job in the world. "

"I can't even swim, " Lin sighed. "Just go with your other friends. I won't tell anything to Aang and Katara. "

Kya was taken aback by the sudden snub. She watched Lin get up, walked out of the pool with a towel on, and waterbended herself to the shore in a hurry. Lin dragged herself under the sun umbrella and dried his hair with the towel.

"Are you leaving already? " Kya asked hastily. It’s hard to tell whether she had regretted that rash suggestion.

Lin nodded. "I have work things to do. It is really nice just to see you. "

"I won't let you go now, " Kya said, pretending to be fierce and tough. "I am the party center today. Nobody is allowed to leave until I'm dismiss... oh I know, I'll teach you how to swim! You must be not familiar enough with the moves to fail to swim. With more practice, you might be as good as I am. "

She did mean what she said, not in a sarcastic way, but Lin couldn't bear it. The Republic City police dried her hair, grabbed another towel and draped herself. She was unable to look Kya in the eye. "It doesn't matter. "

"Well... " Kya wanted to say something, but before she could formulate her words, her other friends in the pool began to urge her. "Kya my dear, where are you! "

"COMING! " Kya shouted to them, then looked back at Lin.

"It’s fine. " Lin nodded gently. "I'm not going anywhere. "

That sentence was like Kya's anchor. She smiled with relief at Lin, hugged her, and ran toward the pool. Lin sat alone in a towel, thinking about what Kya had just said.

"Not familiar enough with the movements" , that was really inexplicably funny. Two years ago on the beach of Ember Island, Kya taught her hand to hand, the two of them had practiced every move thousands of times. Not to mention the swimming movements, she could copy even the waterbending movements from cover to cover.

Spirits knew how many times she got up early to go to Air Temple Island just to watch Kya practice. To Look at Kya on the other side, over the practice field fence, to watch her scooping up a lump of morning dew with a twist of her wrist. The gentle light of the sunrise fell upon her, and upon the drops of water that she controlled with her overturning hands. The waters reflected the sunshine, shining like stars. It was a scene more beautiful than the eternal night of the Milky Way in the South Pole.

Lin was just one of Kya's many friends, even though Kya was always in a special place in Lin's heart. Still, she was lucky enough to have an entire Ember Island summer to herself, compared to other unrequited love sufferers. All summer long, just her and Kya. During the day, they did their own things, and then went to parties, read books, walked on the beach arm in arm in the evening, and practiced swimming after dinner.

Sometimes Izumi's friends would bring them theatre tickets, but the shows there were so weird sometimes that it got too much for them. Under situations like that, they would sneak out during halftime. Nobody knew Kya was a talented actress before, but after taking Lin to the beach, she would dramatically imitate scenes they had seen before. She also had a special gift for comedy and screenwriting, improvising the most boring plays into hilarious monologues. Kya said it was because of that summer she spent on Ember Island that she decided to become a writer and travel around the world looking for inspiration. Lin was able to witness Kya's process of self-discovery. How could she not be special in Kya’s heart?

"Everyone, attention please, " Kya returned with a group of girls, built a platform of ice in the middle of the pool, and walked up. "I have an announcement! "

Lin turned her head to look the pool. Kya was waving to someone in the crowd, flashing her trademark smile. In reply to the cheers of the crowd, a dark-skinned Water Tribe girl climbed up from the other side.

"Everybody, " Kya said, holding the girl's waist, "this is my girlfriend, Nasta of Northern Water Tribe. "

Lin didn't really catch the girl's name. Her brain exploded when she heard the word "girlfriend, " and her ears buzzed like the sound of the wildest waves on a full moon night lapping against the rocks on the shore. Her eyesight faded as did her hearing, and tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes, and she couldn't even tell Kya from Nasta.

Kya and Nasta hugged and kissed to the roars of the crowd. It was late afternoon, and the gentle light of the sunrise fell upon them, and upon the drops of water that they controlled with their overturning hands. The waters reflected the sunshine, shining like stars. Lin could only console herself with the thought that Nasta was a wonderful person and that they were perfect for each other.

Yeah, it was a good match. They could practice waterbending together, discuss the latest scripts together, and swim in the Shimmering Sea together. All that she could not do with Kya. The closest distance between Lin and Kya was that summer by the Ember Island beach when Kya didn't have anyone else to talk to. In her mind, Lin would never be the one to fall in love.

All she had was nothing but wishful thinking. Lin scolded herself silently. That summer was magical, and she put herself under a curse she would never get out of. Their hands, hers tanned and Kya’s dark, crossed tightly that summer under the hot sun; and for one second, she actually thought that as long as she kept run forward, one day she would catch Kya and become worthy of her love. But two years later, her skin had completely returned to its original light colour, and the brief tanned darkness was nothing more than a prank by the summer.

She didn’t want to let Kya see her gaffe, so Lin left quietly in the gap of laughers. When she got home, she took a long shower, trying to wash off the burning blush on her face, only to discover that the sunburn in the shape of her bathing suit had disappeared already.

It was as if what she thought was going on between her and Kya was nothing more than a prank by the summer.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for everything.


End file.
